1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a bent splint used to wrap affected parts such as a fractured joint or bone and a damaged ligament so that they do not move, and method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bent splint that can facilitate recovery from a surgical operation by shaping the bent splint similar to an operation shape of a bent portion such as an elbow at a bent shape in which wrinkles are not formed in the bent splint and that can increase an effect of a medical treatment by closely fixing the bent splint to the affected parts so that the splint does not float, and method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a splint for use in orthopedic surgery is used to partially or entirely firmly wrap fractured joints, broken bones, extension of a ligament and fractured muscular organization so that they can be firmly support/fixed.
At this time, it is required that materials used for the splint be flexible enough to shape the curved damaged parts and be adequate in solidification time or operation time. Further, it is required that the materials have a mechanical strength sufficient enough to maintain its structure. A method that has been widely used as splints meeting these requirements include a method of wrapping bandages on which gypsum material is applied to the affected parts. The gypsum bandage has been widely used as the bent splint since it can easily form the shape of the curved affected parts due to its flexible property before solidification, has adequate solidification time and operation time, and has a high mechanical strength after solidification. This gypsum bandage, however, requires much time to wrap the wounded parts because it must be wrapped on the affected parts in a sufficient thickness.
In order to solve this problem, there has been proposed a material for a splint being textiles such as gypsum bandage, glass fiber or synthetic fiber textiles is immersed into polyurethane resin for wet solidification (1 liquid phase) and is then folded 8-10 times. Thus, there is an advantage that this splint can reduce the use time. This splint is shaped with curve along the curved angle of humans"" curved parts such as elbow, knee, heel, etc., since it is textiles formed in a rectangular shape. Thus, there is a disadvantage that wrinkled portions inevitably occur at the curved parts. Further, the splint lacks in the shaping capability closely wrapping the affected parts depending on the curved shapes from the affected parts, for example, the thickness of the wrist and ankle, the thickness of the ankle and calf, etc. In this case, the splint get loose from the affected parts and thus does not firmly support the affected parts, thus adversely affecting curing of the operation portion such as broken parts.
In order to solve this problem, there has been proposed a splint made of a thermoplastic resin. The splint is molded to have the cross section of a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape and a xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shape and has an endoderm attached as a sponge. At this time, the splint is molded to be an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shape. As the cross-sectional view of the splint is a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape, it must be made soft at the temperature of about 90xc2x0 C. in the oven in order for the splint to be closely adhered to the affected parts. The soft splint must be then attached to the affected parts along the curved parts of the affected parts by hands. During this operation, the soft splint of a thermoplastic resin becomes cool. Thus, the splint could not be completely attached to the affected parts once. Therefore, the splint must be made soft into the oven more than once. In addition, the splint must get cool for about 20 minutes after the shaping. Thus, there are problems that the operation is inconvenient and a lot of time is required.
The present invention is contrived to solve these problems and an object of the present invention is therefore to provide a bent splint capable of facilitating an operation and increasing an effect of the operation, in such a way that the splint is shaped to be a bent state like an operation shape in which wrinkles are not formed and the splint can be thus adhered to the affected parts so that the splint does not get loose, and method of manufacturing the same.
In order to accomplish the above object, a bent splint for protecting/supporting the affected parts according to the present invention, comprises an endoderm and an integument having an xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape to which two bent plates having a horizontal section and a vertical section are adhered by an adhering means, the endoderm and integument having a bent portion for allowing an angle to be formed at its central portion; and a core being a sandwiched fabric in which a plurality of split fabrics are formed between the two fabric surfaces, wherein an outer circumference portion of the two bent plates having the horizontal section and the vertical section is adhered by an adhering means, so the cross section of the circumference portion is a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shape, wherein a bent portion has an angle at its central portion, the endoderm and the integument are applied with a solidification solution such as polyurethane or gypsum, the core is inserted between the endoderm and an integument.
The bent plate is processed within a mold along the shape of the splint by means of an ultrasonic wave, so that the angle of the horizontal section 1a and the vertical section 1b can be maintained. Therefore, the cut cross section is smooth, there occur no wrinkles and loose fabrics can be prevented.